E-Business
Nigeria First to Endorse A4AI ‘1 for 2’ Affordability Internet Target

In 2016, The Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) called on countries to adopt a new, more ambitious target for what counts as ‘affordable’ internet access — a 1GB bundle costing no more than 2% of monthly incomes, or “1 for 2”.
Nigeria recently became the first nation to formally endorse this target.
A4AI is a broad coalition of member organisations from across the civil society, public, and private sectors. Through a combination of advocacy, research and knowledge sharing, A4AI works together to enable affordable Internet access for everyone, everywhere.
The Body also congratulated Nigeria for her vision in taking this step, and “we stand ready to help make it a reality for all of her citizens,” A4AI said.
To decide on the target, A4AI ‘2015-16 Affordability Report’ showed that at this level, broadband is likely to be affordable to most, or all, population groups.
By contrast, its research showed that the current UN-agreed target of 500MBs for 5% or less of income is likely to restrict access to the relatively well-off, while also severely restricting the amount of time people can spend online.
Recognising this, a speech by Barrister Adebayo Shittu, Nigeria’s minister of Communications, delivered by Arch. Sunday Echono, permanent secretary in the Ministry, at the A4AI-Nigeria Coalition meeting on January, 2017 noted, “Consequently, A4AI and the Ministry share the common goal to make the Internet universally affordable for all who want to use it. This goal is quantified in a measure of having 1 Gigabyte of bandwidth not costing more than 2% of a person’s monthly income.”
The Body described the commitment as a significant step forward. “A4AI’s 80+ local coalition members — drawn from the public sector, private sector and civil society — are committed to helping the Ministry translate this target into benefits for all Nigerians. What is more, ECOWAS has also formally endorsed the target and recommended it for adoption by its 16 member states, and so we hope to see similar commitments from other West African nations soon”.
Earlier, A4AI report indicated that a new affordability target is needed to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goal 9c
The UN Broadband Commission currently defines broadband as affordable if an entry-level (500MB) data plan is available at less than 5% of average monthly income (i.e., GNI per capita). However, this definition of affordability does not account for poverty and income inequality — two major challenges facing the world today.
As the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) 2015-16 Affordability Report shows, assessing affordability using the current measure can be misleading.
In South Africa, for example, average income (as measured by GNI per capita in 2014) was US$6790, but 60% of the population actually earn less than half of that amount.
In practice, this means that a seemingly affordable mobile Internet connection (priced at 1.48% of “average” monthly income) actually costs the majority of South Africans anywhere between 6-19% of their income.
The idea of a national “average” income is further skewed by gender inequality in earnings; across the globe, women earn 30-50% less than their male counterparts.
This means that a country can meet the UN’s top-level affordability target, but still see a significant proportion of its population unable to afford to connect to the Internet.
The “1 for 2” target ensures that income is not a barrier to access
“The current 5% affordability target is insufficient in a world where income inequality is increasing. Even in countries that have achieved the 5% target, entry-level broadband (500MB) is still too expensive for at least the bottom 20% of income earners in the country — and much too often remains out of reach for all those except the top 20% of income earners.
Using a national average income does not account for income inequality and the unequal distribution of income found across many countries.
“Unfortunately, the reality is that country data on income distribution is limited; as a result, using a national average (i.e., GNI per capita) remains the most effective measure for tracking progress. The national average measure, however, must move below the current 5% threshold for the reasons mentioned above.
“In determining what a more accurate target should be, A4AI analysis shows that when prices drop to 2% or less of GNI per capita, all levels of income earners, including the bottom 20%, can afford a basic broadband connection. At the 4% and 3% levels, mobile broadband remains unaffordable for the bottom 20% of income earners in several countries. A more ambitious 2% threshold will allow a broadband connection to become truly affordable for all income groups, enabling billions more to come online,” the Body posted on its website.
E-Business
Galaxy Backbone, Rural Electrification Agency Commit to Deepening Digital and Energy Access Across Nigeria

In a major step towards deepening Nigeria’s digital and energy infrastructure, Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a brief but impactful ceremony held in Abuja.
The MoU signals a collaborative effort between both agencies to enhance Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda by integrating reliable energy solutions with cutting-edge ICT infrastructure, especially in higher institutions, Government institutions, underserved and rural communities across the country.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju, described the partnership as “a landmark moment in Nigeria’s journey towards a digitally empowered, sustainably powered, and inclusively connected nation.”
“This partnership exemplifies what is possible when two visionary government institutions come together, united by shared goals and driven by the desire to improve the lives of Nigerians everywhere,” he said.
Professor Adeyanju emphasized that while Galaxy Backbone’s core mandate is to provide secure digital infrastructure that powers government operations, reliable and sustainable energy particularly in rural areas is essential to fully actualize digital transformation.
Major highlights of the MoU include:
- Solar electrification of some of GBB’s Metro Fibre sites in Abuja by the REA.
- Powering Hostels of Higher Institutions across the country through the Fibre to Hostel Project being driven by the Federal Ministry of Communications Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE).
- Support for the rollout of the 774 Local Government Digitization Initiative, beginning with six pilot Local Government Areas.
- Provision of LANs, access points, cloud services, colocation infrastructure, and temporary connectivity to enhance REA’s operational facilities nationwide.
The Managing Director of the Rural Electrification Agency Mr Abba Aliyu, in his remarks, expressed optimism that this collaboration will further bridge the digital and energy divide across Nigeria. He noted that by combining REA’s achievements in expanding energy access with GBB’s robust ICT backbone, both agencies are poised to create lasting impact across governance, education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship.
This partnership is also in direct alignment with the Renewed Hope Digital Transformation Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which envisions an inclusive digital economy powered by innovation and sustainable energy.
The ceremony was attended by top management from both organizations as well as members of the media.
With today’s signing, Galaxy Backbone and the Rural Electrification Agency have set the tone for stronger, smarter, and more inclusive public service delivery powered by strategic inter-agency collaboration.
E-Business
NIMC Says NIN Services Back Online

National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced the restoration of its National Identification Number (NIN) verification services nationwide.
This, according to the commission, follows the completion of a system maintenance exercise.
In a statement issued on Friday, the NIMC confirmed that all previously disrupted services have resumed.
“NIMC wishes to inform the general public that the recent technical maintenance has been completed and all services have been restored,” the statement read.
The NIMC urged Nigerians seeking to enroll for NIN to visit the its official website to locate the nearest enrollment centers.
The agency also encouraged individuals to make use of its self-service portal for tasks such as data modification, including name changes.
To further ease the verification process, the Commission recommended downloading the NIMC NameAuth app (oath.app) from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store for quick and secure NIN authentication.
NIMC expressed appreciation for the public’s patience during the service disruption, which had impacted banks, telecom providers, and government agencies that rely on NIN verification for their operations.
E-Business
Report Reveals African Organizations Dangerously Overestimating Cyber defences

Many businesses are overestimating their defence against cyber attacks, which creates a significant human risk blind spot. A new KnowBe4 report exposes a worrying disconnect between what leaders think about their cyber security readiness and what employees experience.
According to the KnowBe4 Africa Human Risk Management Report 2025, based on insights from cyber security decision-makers across 30 African countries, despite high awareness, a critical gap exists in turning that awareness into actual readiness and resilient behaviour.
Key findings from the KnowBe4 Africa Human Risk Management Report 2025:
Confidence vs awareness: While cyber security awareness is high, leaders express uncertainty about their workforce’s ability to act on that awareness. Many feel employees may overestimate their capabilities in recognising, reporting and mitigating threats.
The need for adaptive and personalised security awareness training: Many companies fail to personalise security awareness training to specific roles or risk exposures.
Widespread BYOD usage: A large percentage of employees (between 41% and 80%) use their personal devices for work.
AI policy development is lagging: Many companies (46%) are still in the process of developing policies for using AI tools in the workplace.
Regional variation: Southern Africa trains more, East Africa governs AI better and West/Central Africa sees the most human-related security incidents.
This gap is significant because Africa has become an attractive target to cyber criminals, especially those that launch AI-powered attacks. A LexisNexis Risk Solutions study found 60% of South African organisations have seen an increase in AI-facilitated financial crime – above the 56% global average.
Kehinde Popoola, regional manager and key representative for West and East Africa at Rubrik, said digital transformation is gaining momentum in Africa and companies are more exposed to cyber risk. The Rubrik executive adds that amid an increase in threats, it is crucial that organisations adopt an assumed breach mindset.
The KnowBe4 research shows that cyber security preparedness and the actual structures required to support secure behaviour seem misaligned.
The report highlights that just 10% of cyber security leaders are fully confident that staff would report a phishing attack or other cyber threat, despite rating employee security awareness of cyber threats at four out of five or higher.
There is also a significant perception gap between decision-makers and general employees in Africa regarding security awareness training, with 68% of leaders believing that training is tailored to roles, compared to only a third of employees feeling adequately trained.
KnowBe4 asserts that many organisations only conduct annual or biannual training that is too generic to effectively change behaviour, contributing to uncertainty about its effectiveness.
According to another report, the KnowBe4 African Cybersecurity and Awareness Report 2025, which focuses on end-user based responses, only 43% of African respondents felt confident in their ability to recognise a cyber threat, and just one in three believed their security awareness training was adequately tailored to their role. This comparison suggests the development of a dangerous perception gap in many organisations.
“There’s a disconnect here – between what leaders think is happening and what employees are actually experiencing,” says Anna Collard, SVP content strategy and evangelist at KnowBe4 Africa. “The data shows that without procedural and cultural follow-through, awareness simply doesn’t translate into readiness.”
“The continent’s cyber security posture may be more confident than it is truly resilient,” Collard adds.
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